The present invention relates generally to the field of golf training aids, and more particularly to a device to adjust deficiencies in their swing.
Golf is a highly popular worldwide activity for persons of all ages and levels of skill. The objective in golf is to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. Hitting the golf ball with power and accuracy can help achieve this objective. A golfer hitting the golf ball with a fundamentally desired swing can ensure that the ball is hit with power and accuracy more consistently. In a fundamentally desired swing, the golfer's body and the golf club can be in positions at appropriate times or in the proper sequence during the swing to help the golfer hit the ball efficiently. When done properly, the swing can look fluid and natural.
Getting into fundamentally sound positions during the swing can often feel awkward and unnatural for the average golfer. The average golfer may proceed to swing in a way that is comfortable, and fundamentally less than ideal, and hit the ball poorly because of it. This can lead to frustration and bad scores, which can be avoided by improving the swing.
Many golfers unconsciously break from proper form during their swing, whether their arms drift away from their body or their elbows splay out. This can particularly happen at the top of a swing. Because this motion can be done unconsciously, it can be difficult to correct. While golfers can intentionally practice their swing to remove these undesired motions, without some aid it is likely that their muscles may automatically revert to their faulty swing. Unfortunately, improper form can dramatically slow down a golfer's form, causing them to lose power.
Golf instruction can be based on the golfer learning by feel. In this method, the golfer feels the proper way to swing the golf club rather than being told the proper body and golf club positions or what the proper swing should look like. In one approach, some instructors ask golfers to hold a position in their swing (such as the top of the backswing), then physically modify that position so the golfer can feel the difference between the fundamental sound modified position, and the previous fundamentally unsound position. This approach does not allow the golfer to hit the golf ball in one fluid motion. So, although the golfer gets the feeling of what the correct position is, the golfer does not necessary know what that position feels like during the fluid and constantly moving swing.
Timing and the kinetic sequence is another aspect of the swing. Kinematic sequencing refers to matching up the lower body motion in the swing with the upper body motion through the back swing and down swing into the ball. Some may believe that proper kinematic sequence may occur when the upper body and lower body move in a complementary manner that is most efficient in producing power and accuracy. Improper kinematic sequence during the transition of the swing can lead to a flawed swing. The transition of the swing may be considered the point during a swing when the club begins to change directions from the top of the backswing back towards the golf ball. When a golfer's kinematic sequence is off during the transition, one of two things might happen: the golfer's upper body might initiate the transition, leading to the common “over-the-top” flaw, or the golfer's lower body might move too fast and dominate the upper body move, leading to another common flaw where the golfer is “stuck.”
Thus, the present invention provides a golf training aid for improving the swing of all level golfers and helping warm up or stretch out the golfer.